Timothy b



T. B. RIDER. Indicadzorl for Steam Boilers.'

No. 234 Patented Nov. 9, 1880.

WITNESS'BS i l Y INVBNTOR i g /D L@ ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PHOTCLLH NOGRAPHER. WASmNGToN. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

TIMOTHY B. RIDER, OF FITCH BAY, QUEBEC, CANADA.

INDICATOR FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,146, dated November 9, 1880,

Application filed February 25, 1880.

To all 'whom it may concern Beit known that I, TIMOTHY B. RIDER, of Fitch Bay, Quebec, Canada, have invented a new and Improved Indicator for Steam-Boilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of Iny invention is to provide an improvement in the class of automatic safety attachments for steam-boilers, whose function is to dampen or extinguish the fire by allowing escape of water from the boiler into the hre-box in case the Water becomes too low or the steaIn-pressure too high for safety.

I employ a tank containinga float and lever which operate a valve that controls escape of water to the fire-box, as heretofore but I have so constructed and arranged these parts as to make the apparatus more compact, less liable to get out of order or becomeinoperative, and more efficient generally.

The details of construction and arrangement are as hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which I have represented a vertical section of my apparatus attached to a boiler and furnace front.

A indicates a water chamber or tank, which is attached to the front of a steam-boiler, B, by means of pipes C D, so that the water-level will always be the same in both. Within the tank is a hollow float, E, and a hinged lever, F. The oat is made hollow to give it the greatest buoyancy practicable, and is preferably constructed of metal, but may be made of wood. In any case I construct its lower side thicker than the upper, so that practically it is weighted, and its vertical action or movement thereby rendered steadier.

The iioat is provided with conical projections a, which serve as guides in its vertical movement, also lessen the friction which the iioat would otherwise have with the sides of the tank, besides allowing sufiicient space between them for free passage or circulation of water, so that, as the Iinal result, the float has a freer up-anddown movement than would be otherwise practicable.

The lever F is hinged loosely to the side of the tank A, and connected with the tapered stem b of valve Gr in such a manner that some vertical play or freedom of movement is allowed for the purpose of preventing the valve being disturbed or partially unseated by the slight oscillations of the iioat incident to the action or force of currents of water in the tank.

The float E is attached to and supported by a concavo-convex rest, H, having a slotted stem, d, which is pivoted to the free end of the curved float-lever F, so that itis allowed a certain freedom of lateral oscillation in the direction of the length of said lever.

By the above construction and arrangement of parts I secure important advantages in respect to economy of space, weight of parts, and buoyancy and effectiveness of the float over other apparatus of like general charaeter.

The stem of the valve is tapered, and its seat beveled to prevent the collection of sediment therein, so that the escape of water or steam through the valve-orifice e is not obstructed in case of danger of explosion.

The conical lower end of the valve Gbears upon one end of lever I, is pivoted horizontally in a case, J, whose opposite or free end is Weighted to hold the valve normally to its seat. When the water becomes too low in the boiler B and tank A, or the pressure of steam passes the limits of safety, the falling of the iioat E or downward pressure of the Water on the valve G will cause the weighted lever to be overbalanced, and by opening of the valve allow escape of the Water into case or box J, and thence into the lire-box (not shown) of the boiler, therebydalnpening or extinguishing the lire, and almost instantly arresting the generation of steam, partly or wholly, so that danger of explosion is avoided.

What I claim as new is- The combination, with the tankAand pipes leading to the boiler and fire-box, of the pivoted lever F, the valve G, and the float and its concave rest H, having the slotted stem d, which is pivoted to the free end of said lever, all as shown and described, to operate as specified.

TIMOTHY BYRON RIDER.

Witnesses:

Guns. M. THOMAS, PATRIcK HACKETII. 

